U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review hallucinogenic tea case

[Space05us]

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether a church in New Mexico can continue using hallucinogenic tea in its religious services.

At issue is whether use of the tea is protected under freedom of religion laws.

The hoasca tea contains a drug banned under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The Bush administration contends the tea is illegal and use of it is potentially dangerous for church members.

Justices agreed Monday to review a lower court ruling that allowed the Brazil-based church to import and use the tea while the case was appealed.

The church -- O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal -- has about 140 members in the United States.

The church says the tea is a central sacrament in its religious practice.

http://krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY[News]=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=9581


Is drug use even protected under freedom of religion?

[Jon Miller]

is for american indians

I think it should be for this also, based upon your small quote

Jon Miller

[Space05us]

based upon your small quote

Sadly thats the whole article.

[BeBMan]

Banning the holy tea

[MrFun]

If holy tea is banned people would be denied their salvation.


We can't have that, can we?

[ajbera]

Good stuff, ayahuasca. My friend partakes on occasion. My wife tried it 2 years ago. I don't do hallucinogens anymore after a bad episode a few years back.

Regardless, it should be allowed as a sacrament.

[Fake Boris]

So it's called hoasca?

[ajbera]

All you'll need to know.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca.shtml

[Zkribbler]

While the government cannot tell people what to believe, it can tell people how to act. If not, we'll be into human sacrafices next.

[DinoDoc]

I'll tell you right now that the Court will decide against the Church based on the record they have on such cases.

[Odin]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I'll tell you right now that the Court will decide against the Church based on the record they have on such cases.

[Dinner]

This won't fly any more then that whore house which claimed having sex with the high priestess then leaving a cash "donation" was a religous ritual.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
is for american indians

I think it should be for this also, based upon your small quote

Jon Miller

No, it ISN'T for American Indians. The peyote case (Employment Division of Oregon v. Smith) came out for the government. Your free exercise rights cannot include doing something which is a crime (so no human/animal sacrifices under religion, as no illegal drug use, etc). The standard is that the law has to be a neutral law and if it touches on religion, then too bad for the religion afffected.

[MrFun]

dude, like hey man, want sum tea?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Oerdin
This won't fly any more then that whore house which claimed having sex with the high priestess then leaving a cash "donation" was a religous ritual.

Ah yes. The Church of the Most High Goddess.